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How to Get Your Best Nine on Instagram

Marty

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31st December 2018

There’s nothing like a new year to unleash a rampaging swell of nostalgia to our newsfeeds and timelines! If you’re an Instagram user, you’ll almost certainly have spotted people sharing their “Best Nine” for 2018. Here’s what the “Best Nine” is all about and how you can create your own.

What is the Instagram Best Nine?

The Instagram Best Nine is an annual tradition on the social media platform where everyone shares their top nine posts from the year that’s just passed. The make-up of the posts is fairly straightforward too. A single image is posted combining the top nine images from the year. Then you add whatever text you like, usually accompanied with one of the hashtags, like #BestNine, #2018bestnine or #TopNine.

While it’s a massive tradition with millions taking part, Facebook-owned Instagram doesn’t actually let you do this on their platform. Instead, you need to go to an external service to create the image and then post it all yourself.

Here’s how to do that.

How to See Your Best Nine on Instagram

Without Instagram holding your hand through the process, you may be a little put-off, but it’s incredibly easy to see your best nine on Instagram.

First of all, you need to know whether your account is private or public. I’d imagine after watching “You”, the latest Netflix Original Series, there’s a fair chance you’re set to private, but I’ll show you both options.

How to See Your Best Nine on Public Instagram Accounts

If your account is public, then getting your top nine Instagram posts for 2018 couldn’t be easier. Also, ignore the 2017 part of the website. They’ve updated everything for 2018.

Head on over to the Best Nine website
Punch in your Instagram username
That’s it!

Next, download the image and head on over to Instagram to post it with whatever message you’d like to add.

How to See Your Best Nine on Private Instagram Accounts

Should you opt to keep your Instagram account private, you’ll need to download the Best Nine app. If you’re an Android user, you’re looking for the Top Nine for Instagram app. iPhone and other iOS users are looking for the Best Nine app.

Connect up your account to generate your top nine posts for 2018 and share away!

I’d recommend deleting the app and revoking all permissions. It’s just good housekeeping considering this app is only used once a year. Why give them extended access to your Instagram account?

Which Hashtag To Use? – #2018BestNine or #TopNine?

I’ve taken a quick look at the stats to decide which best nine hashtag you should use to post on Instagram.

#BestNine has 482k posts
#2018BestNine has 596k posts
#TopNine has 223k posts

As often happens with these unofficial trends, a few different app creators and website builders have tried to get in on the act. But #2018BestNine is proving to be the most popular hashtag this year.

Post your 2018 Best Nine on Instagram

All that’s left to do now is to post your own best nine photos on Instagram. Feel free to give @goosed_ie an aul tag too. We’d love to see what made your year special. Also, we promise that Tesla video is coming…eventually!

View this post on Instagram

Here's our #2018bestnine! Happy New Year to all our readers, partners and supporters. Here's to a whopper 2019

A post shared by goosed.ie (@goosed_ie) on Dec 31, 2018 at 4:00am PST

Play Bandersnatch: A Chatbot to Guide You Through the Black Mirror Netflix Event

Marty

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28th December 2018

0

Play Bandersnatch: A Chatbot to Guide You Through the Black Mirror Netflix Event

It’s a Friday night. I’m home alone. I’m feeling sick and I’ve just finished watching Bandersnatch on Netflix, the new Black Mirror movie/event. It’s a choose your own adventure, interactive movie and it’s quite impressive. Review to follow, I assure you. However, while watching it, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between Stefan’s efforts to build a “choose your own adventure” game and the chatbot, Gé, I built for Christmas.

So I did the most normal thing in the world. I build a half-arsed chatbot that brings you through all, or maybe most, of the possible storylines in Bandersnatch.

Warning: This obviously contains a shed-load of spoilers so please do watch the film/show/event thing first!

Play Bandersnatch….. Kinda

Black Mirror Returns: Bandersnatch Trailer and Launch Date

Jon

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28th December 2018

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Black Mirror Returns: Bandersnatch Trailer and Launch Date

Few shows have pulled back the veil on modern societies uncomfortable relationship with technology quite like Black Mirror. The Channel 4, now Netflix Original, has just dropped the trailer for Bandersnatch, the first Black Mirror movie.

What is a Bandersnatch?

In the new Black Mirror movie of the same name, the Bandersnatch is a game developed by an estranged but genius game developer Jerome F. Davies. Furthermore, this fictional game is based on a fictional character in Lewis Carroll’s 1872 novel, Through the Looking Glass and also features as an enemy in Resident Evil – Code: Veronica.

Now we can add “first feature-length Black Mirror movie” to the list of times Bandersnatch has been referenced.

What is Black Mirror Bandersnatch About?

This hasn’t had much of a build up to date, but the trailer does give us a fair insight into what we can expect. Actually, on that note: the trailer is incredible. Set to the tune of Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, it’s a properly gripping minute and a half-plus of movie prep:

By the looks of things, Bandersnatch is set in the 1980s and hones in on the drug-fuelled game development industry. We even get a throwback to the Metalhead dog robot from the last season of the Black Mirror series.

The movie finds itself at the moment where the games industry bursts into life, the trailer opening with a studio head claiming they’ll be “a hit factory” like “Motown but for computer games”.

Bandersnatch Will Be A Choose Your Own Adventure Movie

Last year, Netflix rolled out one of their most exciting tests in the form of an interactive Puss in Boots movie. Netflix producers love using data to make their shows, so at the time I thought this would be little more than a movie-making way of doing A/B testing. Turns out Netflix were really excited about creating “choose your own adventure” programming.

Bandersnatch is their most ambitious project yet, as the film waits for you to make key decisions throughout the story which completely change the journey you take. Impressively, the movie even remembers decisions you’ve made in the past and brings them up again down the line, right from the first choice just five minutes in.

Devices Compatible With Netflix Bandersnatch

I’ve been testing out which devices you’ll be able to enjoy Bandersnatch on. It is supported on smart TVs, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Android devices, iOS devices and web browsers.

As there is an interactive element, not all devices will work. For example, Chromecast and Apple TV won’t allow you to make choices.

We’ll be giving this a full playthrough today and will pop up a review as soon as we can.

When is Black Mirror Bandersnatch Available to Stream?

Here’s the really good news. Normally, great trailers drop and then we have to wait months to watch the movie. Bandersnatch is very different. The trailer dropped yesterday and the movie is now available to stream. Well, it’s available to play is probably more accurate. Yup, you can watch Black Mirror Bandersnatch on Netflix right now.

The Gooseys: Rounding up the Best Tech of 2018

Jon

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21st December 2018

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The Gooseys: Rounding up the Best Tech of 2018

That’s it! 2018 is coming to a close and I think it’s fair to say that it has been a bumper year for technology as a whole. From the re-invigoration of the smartphone industry to the increasing options of food service apps there has been a lot of good stuff going on. That’s why we’ve decided to start our first ever annual Goosey Awards.

These are (in our own minds) premier awards to showcase the best technology we have seen hitting the markets in 2018. Check out the latest episode of TechYurt to listen to me, Neal and Martin debate the comings and goings in the Irish Tech market to decide our winners.

Seriously it’s a great discussion and we think you should give it a listen.

Anyway without further adieu let’s get into it.

Food Service of the Year

Winner: Deliveroo

Runners-up: Bamboo, UberEats

Honourable mentions: JustEat

Right, let’s kick this off and talk food.

In Ireland now we are very lucky to have a range of different options available to us when it comes to ordering food, as long as you live in the right locations. This was a tough call because Deliveroo and Bamboo are both brilliant and innovative platforms. Bamboo allows the user to skip the lunch rush by skipping the line at a number of different cafes and eateries throughout Dublin and Cork City and we are sure they will keep growing because it’s an amazing set up that not only offers a different food experience to any other app but they also support local business in a way that many of the other apps perhaps don’t.

However, in terms of pure tech Deliveroo takes the crown. When ordering food it’s annoying when you have no idea when your food is going to arrive and Deliveroo takes the guesswork out. From start to finish you are able to track your order and you are notified every step of the way, to be fair there is something cool and exciting about looking at the app and realising your dinner is just around the corner. It also stops those pesky housemates getting on your case when everyone is hangry – we all know the conversation I’m talking about. They also have a great selection of restaurants available.

It’s mad when you think about it, we had a list of the best food providers and JustEat didn’t win after having a monopoly for so long. The simple fact is this: they have the biggest selection and delivery range of all the apps but in recent times their delivery standards have slipped, they haven’t kept up with other companies innovation and we think they just lost that something special that made them stand out from the crowd.

It’s unfortunate really because they have been the figurehead of food apps in the country for so long and with the infrastructure, they have in place this should have been a handy win. However, the new guys are now breathing down JustEats neck like never before.

We also have to mention UberEats which has a huge following in the UK, the States and across Europe, oh and it finally came to Ireland a couple months ago. Their service is very similar to that of Deliveroo (so much so the rumour is Uber will buy out Deliveroo) and with the wedge that Uber has behind them, it is going to be interesting to see what they do in 2019. These could be the ones to watch and JustEat really needs to up their game with these heavy hitters entering the Irish market.

Accessory of the Year

Winner: Anker The PowerPort Atom PD 1

Runners-up: OtterBox, Spigen

Honourable mention: Nebula Capsule

Marty got to see Anker launch their new PowerPort Atom PD 1 charger in New York earlier this year. You wouldn’t have thought that a charger launch could be that exciting right? Well, Anker is actually a company on a mission. This is a genuinely smart charger.

Using gallium nitride, this charger can greatly improve charging efficiency. Combine that with the Power Delivery smarts which help the charger deliver the right amount of juice to your device, and this could replace most of the chargers in your house. Exactly what Anker are hoping to do.

Every year, millions of new chargers enter the market and a huge number of these are shipped with new phones. Anker wants to standardise chargers and create one that rules them all so you only need to have one. These chargers, with their internal smarts, are capable of charging a wide range of devices.

Gadget of the Year

Winner: Kindle

Runners-up: Echo Plus, Eufy Vacuum

Honourable mention: Mi Scooter

So this was a fun award to discuss, would you believe we had the MiScooter, Echo Plus and Eufy Vacuum down as the top three until Neal hit us with the details about the newest Kindle. As he said in his recent article about eReaders in general, Kindle has become synonymous with the technology in general. The latest edition of the Kindle just about took the award with it’s new LED backlighting tech, added waterproofing and it’s new ability to switch between audio and electronic book (great if you have a walk/bus style commute).

With the book taking away the gong we need to mention the robotic vacuums are somewhat in their infancy and we reckon these will only get better over the next year or two. While the Eufy is available at a reasonable price some of the competitor’s models can go for a grand plus, as the price drops we will see more people hopping on the bandwagon because let’s face it who likes vacuuming?

Jon took a good look at the Echo Plus this year and we all agree that voice technology is starting to become the norm and the Alexa range is top of the pile, literally this may have been the Echo Plus’ downfall in the category as the likes of the Echo Dot 3rd Generation or the Show will be more than good enough to do the job. It’s all about picking what suits you best.

Audio Kit

Winner: Bose QC 35 II

Runners up: Sony MX3, Enod Earbuds

Honourable mention: Sony MX2

Marty struggled with this category. After spending the year playing with lots of audio tech, it killed him to pick something so expensive as the winner. But the Bose QC 35 II is just that good. The only thing is, the Sony WH-1000MX2 get a massive look in here, delivering similar quality at a great price despite being a year old. While the Bose is the best it needs to be said that at a fraction of the cost the Enod Earbuds are brilliant without breaking the bank.

Game of the Year

Winner: The Amazing Spiderman

Runners-up: Red Dead Redemption 2, Battlefield 5

Honourable mention: Fortnite, Far Cry 5

Possibly one of the easier categories to call after our recent podcast with Elite Gamer’s Vinny Fanneran. 2018 was actually a huge year for games and to think we have a list of best games that doesn’t include FIFA19, Call of Duty, Assassins Creed or Crash Bandicoot says all you need to know about the quality of games being produced this year. However, Neal made a great point during our conversation about the sheer size of Red Dead and how although the game was amazing he felt that the hype may have ramped up expectations to a level where not everyone would be happy and Martin agreed.

Fornite is also probably the biggest and most played game of the year, but is it not just a copy of PUBG? Being realistic our choice isn’t going to please everyone considering Fortnite’s success and huge cult following but anyone who has played Spiderman will say this – it’s one of the best looking, smoothest and generally best craic we have had in a game in a very long time.

During the year Jon reviewed The Amazing Spiderman and he had some very positive things to say about the game which you can read here. Our mates over in Elite Gamer also agreed so if you are in any doubt about the quality of the game or our choice in this category you probably haven’t played The Amazing Spiderman. Get on it, you won’t regret it.

App of the Year

Winner: Last Pass

Runners-up: Spotify, Google Translate

Honourable mention: KeepAppy

The year that brought us Facebook data leaks galore and GDPR means we all need to own our own digital safety. If one website leaks your email and password and you’ve used the same password on ever site you’ve ever used, you’re going to have a bad time.

LastPass means you don’t actually need to know your passwords at all. Adopt the motto “the safest password is a password you don’t know” and you’ll be much more secure! There’s a full review for LastPass in the pipework, but feel free to get started in the mean time.

Digital Bank of the Year

Winner: Revolut

Runners up: KBC, N26

KBC ran this one very close and to be fair they are far and away the best Irish bank when it comes to digital innovation and supporting their customers through technology. However there was only going to be one winner and that is Revolut, as Neal alluded to on the podcast, going for dinner with friends and being “that guy” who doesn’t have Revolut is now a thing. When it comes to security for online shopping, splitting bills or shopping in local currency to save you money, Revolut does it all.

While most people won’t be comfortable with using the online bank as their main bank account just yet the benefits are clear and if Irish banks don’t get their fingers out they will be left behind. Perhaps most important is the news that Revolut has just been recognised as a proper bank after gaining their European banking licence; bad news for Irish banks.

Bank of Ireland still won’t give their customers access to Google or Apple Pay, which is madness. We have done a couple articles about digital banking in general so if you are thinking of changing banks or want to know more about Revolut check out the links below:

Best Tech4Good Company

Winner: e-Nable/Open Creators

Runners-up: TippyTalk, CyberSmarties

Honourable mention: CoderDojo, Huawei Story Sign

This is probably Jon’s biggest passion area at the moment when it comes to tech. Some of you may know but his qualification is actually in Product Design so seeing things that are capable of changing the world through tech is something that really gets him going. All three of the finalists were actually speakers at the recent HouseTalks event held out of the Amber/House Bar in Limerick.

Anyway, this is one of those categories where literally anyone could have won and we absolutely love that Tech4Good is becoming a thing. Each of these companies could have won the award in their own right if we are being totally honest but at the end of the day we decided to plump for e-Nable, these guys are using 3D printing and open source technology on a global scale (as a charitable group) to create prosthetic devices for children in need. Did you know that these guys are able to create a prosthetic for as little as €25. You can find out more about these guys in the article we wrote about them earlier in the year and when you read their story you will understand why we felt we had to choose them as our number one.

Again we need to stress that any of these options could have won, CoderDojo are supplying a service and running coding classes throughout the country and they have grown to such a scale where most people will know their name. The fact that a company like CoderDojo even exists just goes to show where technology and future planning actually stands within the Irish Education system but that is an argument for a different day.

Even the big guys are starting to understand the reasoning behind creating Tech4Good, just read Martin’s article about the Huawei app called Storysign because I don’t think any of us here understood before that those who are hard of hearing can often have challenges learning to read but now we do and the fact that a big company understand this and want to try help is just incredible.

That just leaves us with TippyTalk and CyberSmarties. CyberSmarties we think are really onto something with creating a social media platform designed just for kids. Let’s be real here, social media is going nowhere and today’s children have to be equipped to deal with it. The fact this is controlled by schools, engages parents, teaches kids the right lessons and only delivers child-friendly content makes it a safe and viable alternative to Facebook and genuinely if any Minister for Education sees this platform in action and can truly grasp the benefit of it then that will be the day that CyberSmarties is just something that schools have. Pretty cool if you ask us.

When talking about TippyTalk you have to acknowledge that this app was created by a man who has firsthand experience of the challenge. TippyTalk is made to give non-verbal children the ability to communicate with their parents like never before. Using the app a child can select pictures on the screen that match their desires or needs and will, in turn, send a text message to the parent to let them know. Think about this from a parents eyes, you have a seven-year old that can’t communicate with you, now you have this app and one day you receive a text that simply reads “Daddy can I have a hug” that’s heart-wrenching and world-changing stuff right there. We will be keeping a close eye on this over the next year to see where they go because it’s a great platform run by a great guy and the sky is the limit for the company.

Again let us reiterate the fact that we are doing a Tech4Good award is something we never thought would happen but just look at the works these people are doing to change the world for the better-using technology. All of them could have been a winner, unfortunately, we had to choose one so well done to the Open Creators and e-Nable.

Best Irish Startup

Winner: Firemole

Runners-up: DwellDown, jumpAgrade

Honourable mention: Bamboo

Again all of the above companies could have won this award. JumpAgrade are just on the begginning of their journey to change how we view leaving cert grinds in this country, they are even one of Google’s Adopt A Startup for 2018. One to watch out for in 2019, who knows if they are willing to give us a hand, the lads might all sit a paper to see just how much JumpAgrade can help. DwellDown and Bamboo are both companies we have followed closely since meeting them both at previous Dublin Tech Summits, both keep going from strength to strength and with companies like this it’s great to see the Irish entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. Having said that there can only be one winner and as Martin said, all the others are nice to have but Firemole is the one you need to have. A simple device that could literally save your life, we have been big fans of the company and since we looked at them in 2017, they have gone onto the next level in 2018 as they are now stocked in the likes of Woodies. A small simple, cheap and effective device that could literally save your life and for that reason we choose it as our Startup of the Year.

Disappointment of the Year

Winner: Sony PlayStation Classic

Runners-up: Fallout 76, Sony XZ3

Honourable mention: Red Dead Redemption 2

As the title suggest this actually hurt us to choose but let’s face it, the Sony PlayStation Classic is a rushed attempt at getting a product to market in time for the Christmas rush. Most of the games we loved and enjoyed are not included, the device is easily hacked if internet rumours are anything to go by, it’s laggy and that’s not just us saying this. The PlayStation Classic is just a bummer because it could have been so much more but it’s not and we are 100% sure you could build your own for far less than the retail price with all the games you could ever want with better performance.

Fallout 76, the less we say about this the better, just a disaster and in another recent podcast with Elite Gamer, Vinny had a rather passionate rant about how much this game sucked and we agree. Bethesda you failed us all, bad form.

The Sony XZ3, Jon loved it and he does love it but still it was a disappointment. How to describe the Sony XZ3…. have you ever gone to the shop and bought a cake, it looks amazing, smells exceptional an then you take a bite and realize it’s not fully baked – that’s a Sony XZ3. A little more thought, a little more time and a little more love and this phone could have been the phone of the year but once again Sony’s 6month release cycle has hampered the brand making something truly outstanding. Don’t get us wrong it’s still a stunning phone with so much going for it, still, one of the best phones on the market and anyone who buys one won’t be let down, it’s just we think it genuinely could have been top of the pile with a little more time.

Best of Netflix

Netflix Original

Winner: Haunting of the Hill House

Runners-up: Ozarks, The Crown

Honourable mentions: Angela’s Christmas & Dave Chappelle: Equanimity & The Bird Revelation

Documentaries

Winner: Evil Genius

Runners-up: The Staircase, Wild Wild Country

Honourable mentions: Explained, Buzzfeed Follow This

Oh Netflix you fickle bitch, we realised halfway through discussing the award winner that this is going to based very much on personal taste and of course the Netflix algorithm. So we decided to go with what seems to have been the most popular shows. That’s all and to be fair they are both incredible shows and worthy winners.

Smartphone of the Year

Winner: Huawei Mate 20 Pro

Runners up: Google Pixel 3 , iPhone XR

Honorable mentions: Xiaomi, Sony XZ3, Note 9

What a year for phones 2018 has been, seriously it’s just ludicrous when you look at the quality that’s on the list and to think how long it has been since OnePlus and Samsung haven’t been a contender for phone of the year. It just goes to show the level of quality and value that is available on the market right now. We will have a full write up on this area as the discussion and the main points is a full article in itself but the fact of the matter is regardless of what anybody made this year, Huawei knocked it out of the park with the P20 Pro and the Mate 20 Pro. We have articles available to read on most of the phones on the list each with a link below so you can make up your own mind but our own opinion and from everything we have seen online there could only be one winner – The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is this year’s Phone of the Year!

Final Thoughts

For us looking at the amazing developments in technology over the course of 2018 was a fantastic experience and we can’t wait to do it all over again in 2019. As mentioned earlier we had to pick a winner for each category but in some cases, it was really too close to call. Ireland is slowly but surely becoming a hub for technology in not only Europe but the world, it stands to us that the likes of the Dublin Tech Summit and WebSummit are two of the biggest tech events in the global calendar, things like the Google Adopt A Startup are pushing Irish innovation to the next level and the Irish public are becoming more aware of the positives and negatives in tech like never before. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to be in a position that we get a close look at the industry as a whole to bring this to you. We would also like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has read or listened to us throughout the year, stick with us because 2019 is going to be even bigger!

Happy Christmas from the Goosed.ie team.

Listen to the Gooseys Podcast

What We’ve Learned From The First Round of Formula E 2018

Tech News

Marty

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16th December 2018

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What We’ve Learned From The First Round of Formula E 2018

We’re in the winter months where most Formula 1 drivers are either taking a break or diving into early testing. One F1 driver has made the move to Formula E straight away. Stoffel Vandoorne had a disappointing race so I learned he’s consistent, but what else has the first race of the 2018/2019 season taught us? Is it worth watching?

Formula E is Fun and Creative

If you got excited about the possibility of Wipeout featuring on the PlayStation Classic just to have your hopes dashed, maybe give Formula E a chance. After watching one race, I already feel like Formula 1 just takes itself way too seriously.

Formula E appears to be letting people in very similar cars race toe-to-toe with a healthy sprinkling of tactics and strategy in the mix too.

There are a few elements of the race that support this point, but none more so than the halo.

In Formula 1, many debated how useful or necessary the halo protective enclosure is over the cockpit. Pundits, drivers and fans argued over it being ugly and even potentially making cars more dangerous. Formula E has taken a very different approach, embracing the halo as a futuristic, on-car status indicator.

When a driver activates Attack Mode or Fan Boost, their halo lights up blue or magenta respectively so fans know they’re using extra power. I love this idea! Here’s what Attack Mode looks like on the halo:

formula e halo light indicators — Sebastian Buemi’s Nissan e.dams in full Attack Mode

Boosts Make a Difference

Boosts have been ever-present in Formula E though, in the races I’ve watched, Fan Boost has never really made a huge impact. I’ve got a feeling that they may be more of a marketing ploy than an attempt to influence the race.

Attack Mode, on the other hand, makes for some massive tactical manoeuvres and race changing decisions. In the 2018/2019 curtain raiser, GEOX Dragon’s Jóse María Lopez made a dive for the Attack Mode activation zone. The zone is off the racing line and will costs you a second or two to collect your reward of a power boost. The problem for Lopez was he lost the time trying to activate the boost but then missed the zone. Double whammy! No boost and lost time trying.

There was also some clever tactical use of Attack Mode after a safety car. It’s a very interesting addition to the race format.

Formula E is Rough Around the Edges

It’s clear as day that this is a sport in its infancy. I’m not talking about drivers getting used to rules and the likes, but the actual broadcast itself it pretty rough around the edges. Yellow flag graphics on screen when there was no yellow flag on track, commentators speaking over team radios and team radios just being terrible are just a few of the production bits that seemed to be a little flakey on day one of the Formula E season.

I’m hoping it’s just day one jitters because Sky’s Formula 1 coverage is so brilliant that this is the bar Formula E will be measured against. The introduction of the Attack Mode activation zone proved quite the problem as it was around halfway through the race before I got to see a car go through the zone at all!

There also seemed to be quite a few miscommunications between race organisers and the stream providers and even the teams. Penalties were being dished out but unfortunately, viewers had no idea what the reason was. Thankfully, these are all easy fixes.

It’s For The Fans

Formula E is brilliant for new fans. I mean that in terms of it being very accessible. I was able to watch everything on either Facebook or YouTube. While some TV stations are also showing the races, having it all available on open platforms just makes life much easier.

With that said, I’ve not convinced that the fans are totally in love with Formula E just yet. It’s early days and tickets are cheap, so races do look like they’re being attended by people who just happened to have some free time at the time of the race. I’m also pretty convinced that there’s some dodgy use of stock cheering sounds to make the crowd sound more into things.

via ytCropper

Regardless, I’m 99% sure it’s just a matter of time until Formula E hits the mainstream. Just don’t expect poor old Stoffel Vandoorne to be a blistering success any time soon.

Formula E Season 5: Everything You Need to Know

Marty

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15th December 2018

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Formula E Season 5: Everything You Need to Know

I used to be a massive Formula 1 fan, back in the days when RTÉ showed the races. I found it hard to watch races until recently when I got Sky Sports, which includes a dedicated F1 channel. I’m loving having regular races to watch again, but now it’s the offseason so what’s a man to do? Well, if you give Formula E a shot, the winter months pass much faster.

Here’s everything you need to know about Formula E.

What is Formula E?

Formula E was founded in 2011 and is an electric motor only auto racing class. The idea for this new single-seater racing class was conceptualised by Jean Todt, former Ferrari team boss and current President of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile). The first championship took place in 2014 and it launched to a mixed reception.

It’s an unusual motorsport to watch given the odd sound electric motors make. Naturally, I was immediately comparing Formula E vs Formula 1 and couldn’t help but noticed the much more audible tyre squeal given there are no loud hybrid engines I’m familiar with from F1. All the tracks are road tracks, shutting down 12 cities for 13 races across 5 continents.

I’ll dip into more Formula E facts in a second, but there are some really interesting things you should know about this modern day motorsport which make it clear it’s here to stay.

Today, it’s plain to see that environmental change is having a massive impact on the world. Many governments, including Ireland, have made commitments to ban fossil fuel-powered cars in the not-too-distant future. With that in mind, motorsport will also need to change. I’ll admit, Formula E doesn’t offer quite the same level of excitement as Formula 1 just yet, but it’ll get there. Well, it has to.

Formula E Top Speed: Are They Getting Faster?

The fifth series of Formula E sees the second generation car take to the grid; the Gen2 Car. With the new car comes some pretty massive upgrades.

These cars are absolutely getting faster, with power outputs jumping from 200kW to 250kW and top speeds increasing to about 280kmph. Now, are Formula E cars as fast as Formula 1 cars? No. The fastest recorded speed in an F1 car is Pablo Montoya’s 373kmph but they are getting faster and at 280kmph, Formula E cars can really move compared to most motors.

Formula E Race Format

Ultimately, race weekends aren’t hugely different from what you might be familiar with in F1, but there are some subtle differences.

Practice Sessions

At most race weekends, referred to as the E-Prix, things kick off with a Friday practice session where car power is restricted to 110kW. These sessions are referred to as a shakedown session.

Given the fact E-Prix takes place on public roads, Friday sessions aren’t always possible.

On race weekend Saturdays, there are two full-power practice runs of 30 minutes and 45 minutes long.

Formula E Qualifying

To determine the race starting order, a qualifying session takes place. This is an hour-long session which divides drivers into groups determined by their position in the championship.

With a hot lap completed, drivers have six minutes to set the fastest time they can, with the fastest six competing in a Super Pole shoot-out. The fastest driver secures pole position and with it an additional three points.

E-Prix: The Formula E Race

After the morning’s qualifying, later in the day is the race. Cars make a standing start, waiting for a green light to kick things off. The E-Prix lasts 45 minutes, with the race concluding as the leader crosses the line once 45 minutes has elapsed.

In previous seasons, during the race drivers would swap cars halfway through to ensure there was enough battery power to complete the race. This meant drivers pitted, jumped out of their car and jumped into another. To be honest, this looked a bit mad but was really exciting, but with the introduction of Gen2 Cars, car swapping is no longer required.

As you can see, Formula E really stands out from Formula 1 on race day where some exciting innovations have been introduced. Here are the big ones.

Formula E Fan Boost

Fan Boost allows people watching the race, including people watching on TV, to have a direct impact on proceedings. Viewers vote for the drivers they want to be awarded a boost in power for a single five-second window throughout the race.

Voting opens six days prior to the race and you can vote right up to fifteen minutes before the race starts. Voting takes place on the Formula E website but also drives social engagement through hashtags.

Attack Mode: New in 2018/2019

Attack Mode encourages drivers to take extra risks on the track. Attack Mode is extremely Mario Kart-esque as drivers must leave the racing line, taking a slower line through an activation zone. The reward is similar to Fan Boost in that they get 25kW of additional power to use.

It’s hoped that the sporting element of Attack Mode will offset the loss of mid-race car swaps.

Does Tesla Compete in Formula E?

Alas, Elon Musk doesn’t seem to believe Formula E is a good fit for Tesla. Here’s the full list of competing teams for the 2018/2019 season and no, there’s no Tesla but some of their biggest road car competitors do feature:

Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler
BMW i Andretti Motorsport
DS Techeetah Formula E Team
Envision Virgin Racing
Geox Dragon Racing
HWA Racelab
Mahindra Racing
NIO Formula E Team
Nissan e.dams
Panasonic Jaguar Racing
Venturi Formula E Team

Personally, I’m more surprised Red Bull don’t have a team present than Tesla as this would seem to be a perfect fit. The big names from F1 are expected to eventually file into Formula E with Mercedes announcing they would enter the sport for the 2019/2020 season.

Formula E Drivers

I’m not sure you could call any of the Formula E drivers household names or not, but for Formula 1 fans a few well-known names appear.

Felippe Massa took a year out of motorsport following his retirement from F1 before taking a seat with the Venturi Formula E Team.

Stoffel Vandoorne allowed himself a very short break from a disappointing F1 season with McLaren Honda to take a seat with HWA Racelab for their debut season.

Sébastien Buemi failed to set the world alight while driving with Torro Rosso in F1 but since making the move to Formula E he has been a dominant force and is the current holder of the record number of race wins.

Check out the full list of Formula E drivers.

Formula E Car Specs

Much of the Formula E car specs are the same across the board. In the first season, every team had identical cars, but since season two, powertrain manufacturers could build their own electric motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system.

Formula E in Dublin

Unfortunately, there are no signs of an Irish driver breaking through to the Formula E series. Adam Carroll came close in the 2015/2016 season though but never quite made the grid. Also, even though we seem to have a growing love for electric transport with the likes of electric scooters becoming popular, attempts to get a Dublin-based Formula E race seem to have fallen on deaf ears for now. Hardly surprising considering the UK doesn’t even have a race yet.

2018/2019 Formula E Calendar

Round	E-Prix	Country	Circuit	Date
1	Ad Diriyah E-Prix	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh Street Circuit	15 December 2018
2	Marrakesh E-Prix	Morocco	Circuit International Automobile Moulay El Hassan	12 January 2019
3	Santiago E-Prix	Chile	Parque O’Higgins Circuit	26 January 2019
4	Mexico City E-Prix	Mexico	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez	16 February 2019
5	Hong Kong E-Prix	Hong Kong	Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit	10 March 2019
6	Sanya E-Prix	China	Sanya Street Circuit	23 March 2019
7	Rome E-Prix	Italy	Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR	13 April 2019
8	Paris E-Prix	France	Circuit des Invalides	27 April 2019
9	Monaco E-Prix	Monaco	Circuit de Monaco	11 May 2019
10	Berlin E-Prix	Germany	Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit	25 May 2019
11	Bern E-Prix	Switzerland	TBA	22 June 2019
12	New York City E-Prix Race 1	United States	Brooklyn Street Circuit	13 July 2019
13	New York City E-Prix Race 2	United States	Brooklyn Street Circuit	14 July 2019

Where to Watch Formula E in Ireland

BBC, BT Sports and Eurosport will be showing Formula E for subscribers in Ireland, but you don’t even need that much! Eager to grow interested in the sport, tickets on the door are pretty cheap and there are few barriers to watching from home too.

Catch all stages of Formula E races, from practice right through to race day on Facebook and YouTube.

The Formula E website has a handy page which helps you find the best way to find a way to watch in your locality.

Is It Worth Watching or Is Formula E Boring?

Season one lacked a lot of magic, but every season since, Formula E has been growing in popularity. To be honest, the future of high-performance motorsport is Formula E, so watching it is unavoidable in the long term. Every season that passes, the races get faster and more exciting so Formula E is far from boring too.

If you have any doubts about just how exciting electric-powered racing can be, check out this video of former F1 World Champion Nico Rosberg trying out the new Gen2 Car…

Goosed Stats: 34% of People in Ireland Shop on Amazon.co.uk

Marty

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12th December 2018

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We’re fresh off the back of Black Friday and we’re slap bang in the middle of the Christmas shopping rush. That got me thinking. After publishing our 2018 Christmas Gift Guide and checking pricing all over the place with PriceSpy.ie, I couldn’t help but notice how many times Amazon.co.uk came up as the cheapest place to buy stuff from. But do Irish shoppers actually trust the whole “buying in from the UK” thing?

34% of People in Ireland Shop on Amazon.co.uk

I did what any sane person would do and turned to the people of Ireland and asked them have they shopped on Amazon.co.uk in the past 12 months. 34% of respondents said they’ve made a purchase from the mega-online retailer in the last year. That’s a fairly significant figure when you consider the relative friction involved in online shopping across the channel. Delivery is often more expensive or requires the use of a virtual UK address.

34% of respondents said they’ve made a purchase on amazon in the past 12 months

Brexit may also play a fairly sizeable factor here, as the value of Pound Sterling has favored those shopping with Euro. If you’ve read my Christmas Shopping Guide, you’ll know I’m a big fan of combining Amazon.co.uk and Revolut to ensure you get a great price while shopping in local currency to save even more.

Beyond the 34% of people in Ireland shopping on Amazon, there are also some other interesting figures worth noting.

Who Shops on Amazon.co.uk?

From the respondents to my survey, 37% of those who said they did shop with Amazon.co.uk in the past twelve months were men. This figure drops to 27% for women.

Even more interesting is the fact that 51% of those who said they shopped on Amazon in the past twelve months were aged 35 to 44. This figure drops dramatically to just 28% for 18 to 34-year-olds.

For me, that’s an absolute shocker. My age bracket is amongst the least likely to shop with the mega-retailer. What could this mean?

What’s Driving the Numbers?

Younger generations are still suffering from a lack of disposable income. As is the case, they simply can’t afford to splurge on all the lovely things Amazon.co.uk has to offer, even when they are available at a much better price. Of course, I can only make assumptions here, but I don’t believe that older generations are simply more financially astute and shopping around more. Or am I wrong?

Join the conversation using #GoosedStats and let me know what you think about these findings.

About these stats: We used Google Surveys to ask 151 people, living in Ireland, at random if they had made a purchase on Amazon.co.uk in the past twelve months.

Spotify Wrapped 2018: Relive Your Year in Music

Jon

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10th December 2018

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Spotify Wrapped 2018: Relive Your Year in Music

2018 is almost over and to be fair it feels like the year has flown by. One walk through any busy city centre will show the same thing, people walking the streets with their headphones on, listening to their favourite tunes or podcasts. For many music plays a big part in their day to day life and it can even define a moment in time. Remember that hold “Football’s Coming Home” lark this summer? So as 2018 draws to a close and we begin reflecting on the year gone by, Spotify Wrapped has returned to help you look back and listen to your 2018 all over again.

Released several times in the past, Spotify’s recap not only includes users’ most listened to songs and artists, but will tell users how much time they spent listening on the streaming service. Spotify wrapped will even determine users’ top genre of music and the first song they listened to in 2018.

What’s shown in Spotify Wrapped?

Before we go any further with this let me put out this disclaimer, all the below has been taken from my personal Spotify account, so less of the laughing at my musical taste or time spent on the app. Deal? Ok nice one let’s do it

Firsts:

So naturally first up is the song and album you discovered first during the year, whether that was a minute after midnight Djing the houseparty, or listening to something to soothe the new year hangover the following morning (clearly mine was the latter)

Minutes spent on Spotify

Have you ever wondered just how much of your year you have spent listening to tunes? Well prepared to be well and truly shocked! Think about it every time you are on public transport, in a gym, going for a walk or simply want to be left alone in work the headphones come out and Spotify goes on. Spotify Wrapped let’s you guess your minutes before giving you the results, reckon you know how many minutes you burnt on Spotity this year? I didn’t but at least now I feel I’m getting value for money out of the app.

Top Artist

Well you can’t figure out how long you have spent in the world of Spotify without wanting to know who you spent all that time listening too? Well for me it was Mr. Post Malone….what can I say he’s my writing tunage.. whose yours? is there an artist that you know comes out on top for you when you working? We know Martin has his “get shit done playlist“,hit us up on Twitter and let us know yours! Oh and less we forget, Spotify Wrapped will give you the opportunity to thank your favourite artist through a tweet to show your appreciation for all the hours of entertainment. It’s a nice touch to be fair but Post Malone will probably tell me to go outside and get a social life.

The Charts

Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. The chart will give you the information on your top 5 most listened to artists, songs and genres for 2018. It is for choices like the below that Spotify Wrapped will generate a “Tastebreaker” playlist to help you expand your musical horizons.

Top 100

It would be wrong of Spotify to do their Wrapped 2018 and not give you a playlist of your 2018 choices, with that in mind the next slide on your Spotify Wrapped 2018 run through is a link to a playlist which will now be on your app of you Top 100 songs for the year. Download it, come back in a couple of years and let’s see how our music taste changes over time.

Top Sub-genre

Again exactly what it says on the tin, plus it will tell you how many other people also have the same love for the genre as you do. To those couple million people, are you also using happy bouncy music for treadmill time or shall we have the worlds largest nightclub experience?

Oldest Song

Thankfully we are nearing the end of this particular music journey and you can hop off and check out your own. No Spotify Wrapped would be complete without finding out who between you and your mates has the oldest song in their playlist. No word of a lie this became a little pub game between mates as we checked our history. Shockingly there is one person whose oldest song dates back to 2016! It’s a cool little addition and while not the biggest deal in the world it’s nice to know that music from back in the day can still be loved and enjoyed today.

Star Signs

If you are a fan of star signs and all that kind of stuff you might be interested to know that Spotify Wrapped will let you know what star sign you listen to most. Not sure what that means but I’m Aries, does that make me an Ariana Grande compatible?

All Talk

During 2018, Spotify started to see the benefit of podcasts more than they ever have before. So much so that they are now opening up the platform to more artists than ever, rather than just your Joe Rogans and the likes. Hopefully this means you will get the opportunity to The Goosed Podcast (yup kinda doing an overhaul from the TechYurt show but that’s a story for another day). Anyway right now you can still get great Irish Podcasts like Those Conspiracy Guys to keep you occupied until we get ourselves onto Spotify.

Tastebreakers

Now that you know your top choices for 2018 you might think 2019 is the year to expand your horizons. Well as we mentioned earlier Spotify Wrapped will generate a playlist of songs that fit into genres you wouldn’t normally explore to create a list custom just for you. It’s a nice little touch and shows that Spotify for all the crap they get want their users to try a variety of artists, thus giving them one more follower then they had yesterday.

Finally Spotify Wrapped will give you the chance to share your top music choices on a range of different social media platforms. I know this is 100% a free marketing tool in their eyes as your friends will see your info and want to find out theirs and so on and so forth, but besides that it’s actually quite cool, plus you can give your top artist a shout out to thank them for their hard work throughout 2018.

How to check out your Spotify Wrapped 2018

Spotify Wrapped has traditionally been very popular amongst its users and many people would have received emails over the last number of weeks with their charts like above. If you weren’t on their emailing list you can still check out your stats and facts for 2018 fairly easily. Here’s how:

Visit Spotifywrapped.com from your phone or computer. Not available on the app just a heads up.
Login to your Spotify Account in your browser.
Spotify will start to show you info on the music you played in 2018, starting with the first song you played.
Scroll through the screens to see all of your stats, it’s 11 slides in total.
That’s actually it, unless you want to share the info with us, Spotify or your favourite artists.

I wonder if next year they will add a guilty pleasure section. Either way enjoy your Top100 and Tastebreaker playlists.

Save Time and Money This Christmas With These 5 Online Shopping Tips

Marty

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7th December 2018

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Save Time and Money This Christmas With These 5 Online Shopping Tips

It’s beginning to look a lot like …

It’s the most wonderful…

Is there actually a non-cliché way to start this guide? Side note: did you know the word cliché is onomatopoeic? Well, that’s one way to start it!

Christmas 2018 has rocked its way into our lives already! Personally, it feels like it’s skipped a few months but regardless it’s here and you need to start that Christmas shopping. With that in mind, I want to share with you some tips I’ve picked up in recent years with these 10 online shopping tips that’ll save you time and money this Christmas.

Use Revolut
Shopping on Amazon.co.uk
Virtual UK Address and Delivery Companies
Check PriceSpy.ie
Read the 2018 Goosed.ie Christmas Guide…of course

1. Use Revolut

I’m a massive fan of Revolut and Christmas shopping online is a perfect example of why I believe they are one of the best digital banking providers in Ireland. Shopping online comes with a certain level of unavoidable risk. You don’t bring your purchase home so it might get banged up. You most likely don’t get to talk to someone before you purchase so you could buy the wrong thing. Returns might be more difficult, depending on where you bought from. And, most importantly, you have to hand over your card details to an online store.

Revolut is not an official bank, but it’s also not far off it. I’ve noticed more and more people are using Revolut in Ireland, seeing people every day in queues ahead of be pulling out the distinctive card they offer. For all extensive purposes and day to day transacting, Revolut offers a debit card like all Irish banks. They go one step further, if not several, and offer a wide range of incredible digital services too.

So how can Revolut help you at Christmas?

Well, if you don’t like handing over your payment details to online shops, why not use Revolut? The benefits of this are twofold

1. Security

You can add your own primary bank card to Revolut and easily top it up with cash in an instant. Revolut will send you a physical card but also assign you virtual cards too. This means you can pay online with a throwaway card. If you get a mail in a few months time saying your card was used on a dodgy site, deleted it and get another, safe in the knowledge that your financial details with your primary bank remain untouched.

2. Shop in Local Currency

I’m going to go on about Amazon.co.uk in a minute, but first of all, we need to talk about Sterling. Lads, the arse has fallen out of Sterling in recent months:

Now is the time to shop on Amazon.co.uk. I really do want everyone to try and shop locally at some stage. It’s important. But still, no one has a bottomless wallet to go crazy on, so if you’re looking to save a few shillings, Amazon.co.uk is a great place to make the most out of Sterling and Brexit.

Revolut lets you shop in local currency too. By that, I mean you can pay on Amazon.co.uk in Sterling instead of using Amazon’s currency converter. Amazon’s currency exchange rate has never been great so by using Revolut, not only are you protecting your card details, you’re protecting your funds too!

Sign up to Revolut now and I can almost guarantee you won’t regret it. I’m just back from New York where I didn’t once worry about foreign exchange or carrying cash because I always had access to the best rates for Dollars with Revolut.

2. Shopping on Amazon.co.uk

Ok, this one is Marmite. Ironically, I used a Britishism to kick off this section. Like Revolut, it’s hard to ignore when a new product or service is being increasingly used by the general public. I don’t just mean early adopters either. Older generations are now adapting how they shop, shifting online and even towards UK retailers in search of a better deal. In fact, a whopping 83% of Irish people said they shop online with UK online retailers.

This isn’t a figure to celebrate. Unfortunately, the high street in Ireland and Irish online retailers have been left behind be foreign counterparts and this has led to a massive amount of Irish money leaving the country for goods. Money talks but Irish online retailers haven’t listened. That’s another story I’m afraid. The headline of the story I’m going to tell is shopping on Amazon.co.uk will save you money.

shopping on Amazon.co.uk will save you money

I’m currently reviewing the Nebula Capsule, an Android-powered projector the size of a 330ml coke can. If you want to pick that up on the high street in Ireland you could grab it in Brown Thomas for €580. You can save a small bit by going online with Littlewoods Ireland, picking up the same projector for €560. Or, you could shop on Amazon.co.uk, save €170 altogether and still watch movies on the wall of your gaff.

That’s a lot of popcorn people.

I can attest to Amazon’s after sales care being incredible too. I’ve been in situations where refunds are given without question as the company will always air on the side of caution and side with the customer.

Now, if you’re going to order from Amazon, you’re going to need to know about virtual UK addresses.

3. Virtual UK Address and Delivery Companies

People work. Because of that, getting deliveries shipped to your home address isn’t always an option. While some employers don’t mind you getting packages delivered to the office, others may ban it outright. They creates a massive barrier for shopping online. Fortunately, many courier companies have spotted this gap in the market and moved quick to fill it, stragely, each of them offers something slightly different too.

In Ireland we have:

Parcel Motel by Nightline
AddressPal by An Post
Parcel Wizard by DPD
Parcel Connect by Fastway Couriers

Parcel Motel by Nightline

Parcel Motel is probably one of the most popular delivery solutions for people, depending on proximity to a locker. Parcel Motel has built small lockers in select locations around the country where you can get packages delivered for a small fee. You can get packages shipped to Parcel Motel instead of your own address or workplace and then pick it up when it suits you – once that’s within 48 hours of it entering the locker!

It costs just €3.95 per night for your package to stay in one of these lockers and if you’re ordering from the UK, this can pay for itself.

For example, if you order from Amazon UK, they may not always ship to Ireland. Sometimes, they’ll ship and it’s the same price but other times you pay extra for Irish delivery. Parcel Motel, like many of the providers I’ve listed here, provide you with a virtual UK address. This means you can get a package shipped to Northern Ireland to avail of free UK delivery and then your package travels south of the border by Nightline’s vans. For all of this you still pay just the €3.95 per stay in the locker.

AddressPal by An Post

An Post offers a similar service, but instead of using lockers, you can get your items delivered to the local post office. AddressPal pricing varies depending on the weight of your package, starting at €5.99 to €12.99 from the UK and €15.99 to €53.99 from the United States.

Yep, AddressPal also offers a virtual US address opening up a whole new world of gadgets.

One massive advantage as emerged over the past twelve months with AddressPal too. Their virtual UK address is based on mainland UK while Parcel Motel and many other providers are based in the North. This means you can have trouble shipping battery powered tech gadgets, so keep an eye out to see if AddressPal is a better option for you.

Parcel Wizard by DPD

Parcel Wizard is probably the smartest solution from all on offer. Once you create an account, you add in a calendar which dictates where you are on certain days. For example, if you’re going to be home, at work or even on holidays you can reroute or delay the delivery of your packages. If you’re shopping on Amazon.co.uk, Parcel Wizard’s virtual UK address also means that you can route packages from the UK direct to your home or office.

Typically, a Parcel Wizard delivery costs €3.85.

Parcel Connect by Fastway Couriers

Another slightly different take on the same service comes from Fastway Couriers. Offering the same services again, but this time your package gets routed towards a local store which partners with Parcel Connect. I’ve used these guys a few times because they’re in the shop under my gaff!

You can also route packages from the UK with Parcel Connect and their deliveries generally cost €4.50

Which Delivery Service Should You Use?

Every one of these services offers something different. Over the course of a year, I’d possibly use each one in different circumstances. Always do the math and check how much insurance you have too. If you’re ordering something expensive, Parcel Motel will let you expand your cover to more valuable items.

Finally, order well in advance and the closer we get to Christmas move away from Parcel Motel. They offer a popular service and as such many locker stations get completely full which can lead to delivery delays.

4. Check PriceSpy.ie

As you may have spotted above there, shopping around can save you a fortune. But checking every single store isn’t always possible, leaving you with the biggest worry of them all. Could I have gotten this cheaper somewhere? PriceSpy.ie takes a lot of the guesswork out of shopping for the best deal.

Their system does depend on stores maintaining their online pricing. So, the example I gave earlier of the Nebula Projector actually wasn’t showing at all in Brown Thomas, but still, there’s no harm in taking two minutes to see if Argos is offering a better deal than Currys. It doesn’t cost you a penny, but could save you a small fortune.

5. Check the Goosed.ie Christmas Gift Guide

It wouldn’t be right of me to plug our own gift guide too. Every year we trawl the internet for the very best in Christmas gift ideas and bring them together in our annual Goosed.ie Christmas gift guide. We’ve got something for everyone in there and always aim to tick at least one name off your Christmas shopping list.

If you’re not sure, all the gadgets are sorted into categories but if you’re still stumped, you can chat with Gé – the Christmas Gift Guide mascot and chatbot. They’ll ask you a few questions and find the perfect gift for whoever it is you’re shopping for.

Enjoy Your Christmas Shopping Online

Beyond these tips, practice common sense where you can too. Shop from reputable websites and if a deal looks too good to be true, look two or three times at it before making the call. Shopping online can, and likely will, save you a fortune when it’s done right. I hope this guide helps you out and as always, if you have any questions, jump onto our Twitter account and fire them at us.

Best eReaders for Christmas and Where to Get Cheap & Free Books.

Apps
Gadgets

Neal

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7th December 2018

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Best eReaders for Christmas and Where to Get Cheap & Free Books.

I’ve always been a book reader and there is nothing quite like the tactile feel of real pages turning or the smell of an old book evoking hidden adventures inside waiting to be (re)explored. I’m also a big eBook fan, a loyal owner of various eReaders for the past 8 years or so and wouldn’t dream of traveling without one. For me there will always be a place for a device that can store thousands of books, easy to carry and you don’t have to worry about charging every day.

Anyway, we are not here to compare physical books and eBooks. That discussion has been well debated and folks will always have a preference for either and often appreciate both like me. If you are thinking about gifting an eReader or perhaps taking the plunge yourself or maybe just want to upgrade your old device, well unfortunately these days, especially for us Irish based folk, there are really only two manufacturers left still producing eReaders, namely Amazon Kindle and Kobo. That’s of course assuming you only want a dedicated eReader, you could instead choose a tablet computer and use an app for your reading pleasure. The advantages of a tablet are that you can do much more than just reading on them. However, try taking them outdoors in bright sunlight (don’t even bother) and you definitely will not get 8 weeks battery time with a tablet.

Amazon Kindle eReader

One of the very first eReaders to the market. The name Kindle is now practically synonymous with eReaders in day to day parlance. Its humble beginnings with a physical keyboard and grayscale E ink display, to today’s LED backlit and high resolution E Ink displays (called “paperwhite” to mimic the look of real paper). The latest Kindle is also waterproof, so no more worrying about dropping it into the bath or pool. The model that probably offers the sweet spot in terms of value for money and features is the Kindle Paperwhite (4th generation is the latest model). If you’re not concerned about having a waterproof device then earlier generations can be had for a lot less bucks. Prices start at €69.99 up to €239.

Kobo eReader

The biggest advantage the Kobo has over the Kindle is that there are no restrictions on which books you can load onto the device. Kobo supports Adobe Digital Edition which means you can download books that support that standard, as many websites and public libraries do. A disadvantage is that it’s online portal doesn’t match the Kindle store for range or in some cases book prices.

Model wise there is plenty of choice from the cheap and cheerful to the more expensive models. The best choice is probably the Kobo Clara HD which features Wifi, 6” HD display, ambient lighting and 8GB on board storage(6000 books). Prices start at €139 up to €309.

iPad/Android Tablet/Amazon Fire.

If you need a device for other activities besides reading such as web surfing, email, Netflix and music, then a tablet is best for you. The downside is that generally tablets need to be charged quite regularly(i.e. daily), are much heavier than an eReader and are hopeless outside in sunny conditions. Apple iPad, Amazon Fire HD and various Android supporting tablets like Samsung are the main choice. Price wise, they vary considerably and in more expensive models, offer features akin to very powerful computers. Recommended are the Android Fire HD(€99) or Samsung Tab A(starting €99), Lenovo Tab E7(€89) or the basic iPad(€369). Basically you can use your tablet as an eReader if you are a more casual user as you have the other features a tablet offers, however if you are a bit of a bookworm then a dedicated eReader is probably the better option.

Where do I get Cheap/Free Digital Books ?

Amazon and Kobo online Book Portals.

The two biggest online eBook portals are Amazon’s and Kobo’s stores.

Amazon has the biggest range and generally can offer better prices than Kobo’s, particularly on newer books. Amazon offer special daily deals and a selection of €1 to €5 books. They also have a subscription service called Unlimited where you can buy one book a month for approx. €10 monthly.

Kobo Book Portal offers a fairly decent selection of free books and a good range of cheaper books from 99c to €5. They don’t offer a subscription service just yet but you do get €5 credit when you first sign up, careful you don’t spend it all at once…

Libraries in Ireland via BorrowBox.

If you own a Kobo or Tablet, you can borrow eBooks from your local library just like a physical book. All you need is a library card Number/Pin and then register with BorrowBox. Books can be download via their dedicated App or a computer connected to your device. Simple as borrowing a book really.

Project Guttenberg.

If it’s only free books your after then head to Project Guttenberg. It’s range may be smaller than the bigger rivals but all books are completely free. Books can be read on a Kindle, Kobo or Tablets. Just create an account on the site and you can transfer your chosen books to the device via a computer.

Google Play Books.

Forget about this site if you own a Kindle, they don’t work but if you’re a Kobo or Tablet owner then this is a another option. You do need a Google account (of course you would) but it’s a fairly painless experience getting setup and downloading books to your eReader of choice. There is a large choice of books with most of the latest releases and price generally on par with the other portals.

Apple Books.

If you’re an iPad or iPhone user then this is another eBook option. The store is huge with prices on par with competitors and they list special offers and free books. Apple have improved the app and curation recently but it’s still not a patch on Amazon’s or Kobo’s eBook stores.